


Patchwork Pup

by story_telling_sage



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Demon!Dean, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Mark of Cain, Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sam gets a dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-11 05:12:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5615155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/story_telling_sage/pseuds/story_telling_sage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam is desperate. Dean is giving up. Sam can't keep doing this alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work was heavily inspired by a conversation I had with heavenlysams on Tumblr about Sam getting a dog. I plan on adding more chapters to this and maybe turn it into a series, something like the retelling of the later seasons of Supernatural + a dog.

It was supposed to be a simple salt and burn. That’s why Sam took on the case alone. That’s why Dean let him. That and Dean was drunk. Really drunk. Sam hated it when Dean got drunk like this. When Dean got drunk like this he says things. Things that made Sam want to tell himself that it wasn’t Dean. He was just drunk. It was the Mark of Cain. It wasn’t really Dean.

 

Sam never believes it.

 

He especially doesn’t believe it tonight because there was the Mark of Cain and Metatron and the world was resting on Sam’s shoulders and Dean was on his next-too-many beer and every part of Sam hurt.

 

Sam just wanted to get out. So he did. Found a case and left. He didn’t take the Impala. Of course not. Dean would kill him. He did hide Dean’s keys though, no sense in letting a drunk Dean loose on the road if he decided to try to find Sam again.

 

And kill him. Not kill him. Not again. Never again.

 

Sam doesn’t believe it. He just drives.

 

-oOo-

 

The salt and burn is not simple. There are a grand total of three vengeful spirits and for the first time in a while Sam is pretty sure he might not make it back home alive and that leaves a hallow feeling inside his chest as he shoots another salt round at Ghost #1.

 

One and a half burned bodies later and Sam is being held against a tree, the life being choked right out of him. He tries his hardest not to let his vision go black but he doesn’t have much choice in the matter.

 

Sam isn’t sure what happens but soon the pressure is gone, leaving Sam stumbling backwards, spots dancing in his vision, fumbling for iron, salt, anything.

 

An iron knife to the abdomen and another burned corpse later and Sam is panting hard, blood spilling from his leg from a nasty cut, and Sam finally has the presence of mind to look around for his savior.

 

He doesn’t find another hunter, or a scared civilian, instead he comes face to face with a dog.

 

She stares up at him, her face a mixture of brown and gray fur. She keeps her brown eyes trained on Sam, watching him closely. She's a small little thing, much smaller than Riot was, but she looks younger too. Sam painstakingly bends down to rub her head and his eyes catch on what must be an iron chain still attached to the little thing's collar. Sam gently detaches it and rubs behind her ears in a silent thank you.

 

And that is how Sam ended up limping back to his car, this silly mutt on his heels. She licks his face gently, whining softly as Sam stitched up his own leg, staying right by his side through all the cursing and the muffled cries. When he was done, his body shaking ever so slightly in pain, she snuggled up next to him. It felt like a promise when she licked his cheek.  _It's over now,_ she seemed to say,  _I'm here now._

 

She was unshakable. Patient. Just staring at him with those big brown eyes surrounded by matted fur. When Sam looked closer he could see her ribs sticking out and he swallowed hard. Sam kept looking at her and she kept looking at him and without even really thinking Sam knew that this dog was his.

 

That was how Sam ended up taking this dog back to the bunker. If she did have an owner Sam certainly wasn’t going to return her to the abusive asshole. She obviously wasn’t getting fed or groomed, she had no collar and plenty of scars littering her small body. There was no way Sam was leaving her alone is this big, cruel world. Not without someone to watch over her. He had seen too many dog gets hurt, and they just didn't deserve it.

 

Also, she wasn’t going to get out of the car.

 

Also, who can say no to those freaking puppy dog eyes?

 

No one, that’s who.

 

-oOo-

 

Dean couldn't even say no to those eyes, it turns out.  Once he was sober enough to question why there’s a dog sitting on the couch, he glared at Sam in expectancy. He didn’t question why Sam’s limping, or where Sam got those bruises around his neck, but he’ll question where the f*** the dog came from.

 

 _Just the Mark of Cain,_ Sam tells himself.

 

He doesn’t believe it.

 

He tells himself that anyways.

 

End of story, some sassy remarks later, a lot of stubbornness, and two sets of puppy dog eyes begging a hungover Dean and the dog gets to stay.

 

Naming her is an entire process all on it’s own. Dean refuses to call her anything but Mutt if he calls her anything at all. Sam ends up deciding on the name Patch. A patchwork dog for a patchwork life.

 

 

Their patchwork life goes on. Sam doesn’t sleep, he has to find a cure. They hunt. The dog comes with them sometimes and Sam will play blind to get her into the motel rooms. But mostly they don’t hunt. Not together anyways.

 

Dean does. He slaughters monsters without waiting for Sam to catch up and Sam wonders if one day he’ll finally get to the scene only to find his brother amid the corpses.

 

But he never does. Dean always comes home safe, the Mark content with the fresh blood that has been spilled for it's pleasure.

 

Sam is in the library one night. He doesn’t know what time it is. There’s no sunlight in this godforsaken bunker and the only reason Sam has been outside recently is to let Patch out.

 

He can’t remember how long ago that was. He just doesn’t know. All he knows is that he needs to find a cure. All he knows is he hasn’t slept in three days? Four? Sam doesn’t know. He doesn’t care. He had to find a cure.

 

Then there was Dean, screaming and yelling, eyes black and smile stretched wide.

 

 _Failure_ , he yells, because Sammy still hasn’t found a cure. Because Sammy hasn’t managed to convince Dean that they need one.

 

 _Worthless_ , he yells, because Sam is. He just is. He was never enough. Not for dad. Not enough to save Brady or Jess. Not enough to save Dean. Never enough. He shouldn’t flinch at the words he knows are true, but he does regardless.

 

 _Untrustworthy_ , he yells, because Dean will never get over Sam choosing Ruby over him when all Sam was trying to do was choose the world. Dean would rather have a vampire than his brother any day. Sam has to find a cure. Has to prove himself. He has to. He has to.

 

And Dean is still yelling, and punching, and Sam feels rough hands grip his face and his world goes black before he hits the floor and wakes to a pair of brown eyes and the low whimper of his concerned pup.

 

Just a dream. Only just a dream.

 

He pulls Patch closer and starts to cry as she licks at his tears and Sam just holds on tight.

 

He doesn’t have to do this alone. He doesn’t.

 

He eventually found his way back to his bed, leaving the research unfinished on the table and falling into bed, a familiar, warm presence curled up against his back.

 

He doesn’t have to do this alone. It feels like a lie but Sam keeps telling himself until he believes it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens after Dean dies and is resurrected as a demon?

Patch lay curled at Sam’s feet under the library table. Sam whined worriedly worriedly and pawed at his leg to remind him it was dinner time. When Patch curled up close to Sam’s chest these days she could feel his bones, sharp against his shirt and her fur. When Sam finally looked down at her she met his gaze with big, pleading eyes.  _ Eat. Please eat. You’re dying. I’m scared.  _ Patch nudged his leg again before standing up and moving towards the kitchen, looking back to make sure her master followed. 

 

Sam stood up, eyes heavy with lack of sleep and endless worry He fed Patch but not himself, wandering back to the library to follow up on more leads, find more research, find another cure. Because Dean was gone. He was gone.

 

_ Let me go Sammy. _

 

He couldn’t. He  _ couldn’t. _

 

Patch padded behind him. Her attempts to nudge him towards the bedroom were met with a soft sigh and an affectionate head rub.

 

Sam didn’t go to bed.

 

-oOo-

 

Sam is gone for a long time and Pach drags his laundry out of the hamper to curl in until he comes home. Sam will come home. Sam always comes home.

 

And he does, arm held close to his chest by a sling. Weariness lines every crease in his face, every wrinkle in his clothes. every breath. When Sam falls to his knees he pulls Patch close with his good arm and sobs into her sob fur. She nuzzles closer, sniffing in the sweat and blood and fear. 

 

When Sam sleeps that night, Patch at his back, he has nightmares.

 

-oOo-

 

The next time Sam leaves he’s gone for an even longer period of time. When he comes home there is another man with him. She recognizes the scent but something is  _ wrong.  _ This is Dean, the Brother, but something is different. Something is bad. His scent is overpowered by the smell of rotten eggs and burning rubber.

 

Sam keeps Patch away from the man as he moves through the bunker, telling her to “stay” and she does. Patch is a good dog. But she wishes she could keep Sam away from the Brother too. 

 

Sam comes back and he smells like the Brother but the smell of his fear is stronger. She can smell his blood too. As Sam takes time to treat his wounds she licks him gently. When he’s finally finished (blood, so much blood, finally no longer leaving his body) Sam hugs her close again. He’s shaking with pain and relief and when he speaks his voice cracks. 

 

“It’s going to be okay,” he whispers into her fur and Patch licks his face. He tastes like sweat and dirt but she doesn’t mind. 

 

-oOo-

 

Everything is not okay.

 

Sam doesn’t go to sleep that night even though he can barely keep himself upright and when he leaves Patch is left in the bedroom. She burrows into Sam’s laundry and she can hear the yelling echoing through the walls. Patch whines and barks and paws at the door to be let out.

 

She  _ needs  _ to get to Sam. 

 

When he finally returns his entire body is shaking and he falls to the floor. Patch licks his face desperately. Sam’s skin is clammy and slick with sweat and Patch whines softly. Sam just pulls her close and they fall asleep there on the floor.

 

He wakes up twenty minutes later, screams turning to ragged, tearless sobs after patch licked him awake.

 

Patch doesn’t leave Sam’s side. He tries to leave her in their room again as he makes to walk away but Patch won’t let him. Something is hurting him. She needs to protect her master. 

 

Together they walk down the hall, Patch pushed up against his legs to keep him steady. He’s shaking again as he stands in front of a door and she can smell the Brother on the other side. She presses a kiss onto the top of her head before heading inside.

 

The next hour is nothing more than Sam smelling so strongly of fear it drowns out the rotten egg scent but it doesn’t mask the screams and taunts. It doesn’t mask the way Sam looks so hollow he almost looks dead. It doesn’t mask the way that this  _ hurts _ . 

 

Patch stays close to Sam and barks and growls at the Brother. He does not get to treat her master like this. He does not get to sneer and laugh and  _ hurt  _ him without even lifting a finger.

 

Later, when Sam staggers out of the room and Patch follows close behind, she doesn’t think it can get any worse.

 

-oOo- 

 

It gets worse.

 

The Brother is no longer just hurting Sam with his words. Her master is screaming, crying out, and Patch runs to his defense. Sam’s fear scent masks everything else and the Brother is to blame. Patch jumps in front of her master, teeth bared and a muscles taunt. 

 

Patch tastes blood as she sinks her teeth into the Brother’s arm as he moves to touch her master. The Brother cries out in pain and slams her into the wall. Patch can hear Sam cry out. She can hear the Brother laugh and struggles to stand up again.

 

The Brother advances towards Sam and Patch bares her bloody teeth as she crawls in front of Sam. She will not let the Brother hurt her Sam. She will not. 

 

The Brother’s foot moves swiftly, repetitively, painfully. 

 

Sam screams, crying out, begging. 

 

Patch’s world begins to grow dark, the pain ever growing. 

 

The last thing she remembers is the Brother’s scent fading and her master’s trembling hands carding through her fur.

 

A far away anthem of “it’s going to be okay, it’s going to be okay, save her, save her, please,” surrounds her.

  
As her world goes black Patch knows she’s safe in Sam’s arms.


End file.
